Just A Little Longer
by bloodyblackie
Summary: There's something wrong with him. He knew it and he's hiding it from the team. Will they ever find out? Will they help him? Will he let them help him? He's just wishing for a little longer time with them. Tony centric.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first attempt at writing an NCIS story. Hopefully you'll like it and I'll continue writing. **

**Chapter 1**

It was their off day and Tony decided to do some outdoor activity instead of just lazying around in his apartment. He grabbed his cellphone from the nightstand and started to call McGee.

"Hey Tim! Got something fun to do today?" he asked the moment McGee picked up his call.

"Hey Tony. If you consider having to stay at home with my aircond broke as fun, then yeah, I'm doing something fun today." McGee was complaining on the other line. Of all the days in the calendar, his apartment's aircond decided to go kaput on his off day. He was already up at 4 a.m. from sweating too much due to the hot temperature.

"Then you're just in luck my friend! I've decided to teach you the fun of wall climbing!" Tony was smiling. He remembered his first wall climbing session with Jeanne. It was so much fun that he sometimes ended up climbing those walls whenever he's having a bad day. Especially after the absence of Jeanne.

"What? Wall climbing? Since when do you even do that?"

"Oh, there's so much more you didn't know about me, Timmy. Come on! It'll be fun. I promise you."

"Okay then. Guess I'll give it a try. It's better than being stuck in this oven for the whole day." McGee said agreeing with Tony's idea.

"Great. I'll pick you up at 9. Your place is on the way to the centre."

In fifteen minutes Tony has already changed into his workout outfit. Don't forget the shoes. We're not gonna cimb those walls wearing the work shoes, again. He was smiling at the memories again. Ahh those good times. Twenty minutes later he was already at McGee's place. After waiting for two minutes, he saw McGee rushing to his car.

"What took you so long McPrincess? Can't decide what to wear?" teased Tony. McGee just pulled a face at the remark.

"Oh, just shut up and drive."

"Ooo...snappy!" Tony just laughed and headed off to the center.

Upon reaching, they were attended by Tony's regular belayer. After getting the needed equipment, they started to equip themselves for the climb. McGee was listening intensely to the instructor's briefing as this is his first time doing he wall climbing.

"How about you go first? It's you first time. No worries, Mark is the best belayer here. He'll make sure you'll be fine." Tony was already pushing McGee at the starting point. McGee was trying his best to not freaked out. Sure it's a little high up there and he's still working on his anxiety for height issue. But he's got to man up. He's a federal agent for god sake. He chased dangerous criminals on daily basis. This stupid wall ain't gonna stop him. With all those self motivation, he checked his harness for the last time and started climbing the first step.

"Go Tim! You can do it!" Tony was cheering intensely from below. Amazingly, Tony's cheer was motivating McGee to move further up the wall. After reaching the top, McGee climbed back down with so much pride in himself. He was actually thankful that Tony talked him in doing this. He can say that it did help a little with his height issue.

"My turn. Watch how the pro do it." Tony smirked and started climbing. McGee watched and cheered for Tony just how Tony did for him just now. It was an awe to McGee just how easy Tony made it looked climbing those walls. Within a few minutes, he was already half way through while laughing like a five years having fun.

Tony was three quater to the top when he was suddenly having this intense pain in his head. Somehow he's vision whas starting to blur a little and he has to actually stop to clear his vision.

"Hey Tony! You okay up there?" McGee was shouthing when he saw Tony slowing down before he stopped suddenly.

"Yeah I'm fine. It's been a while since I last do this." Right after he finished the sentence, his vision went black and his hand loosed their grips before he started falling down. Mark was in shock as he tried to reduce the impact of Tony's fall. Within a few seconds, Tony went from laughing at the top of the wall to sprawling unconsiously on the floor.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Right after he finished the sentence, his vision went black and his hand loosed their grips before he started falling down. Mark was in shock as he tried to reduce the impact of Tony's fall. Within a few seconds, Tony went from laughing at the top of the wall to sprawling unconsciously on the floor. **

McGee was rushing faster than a lighting to Tony's side. He grimaced as his hand made contact with the back of Tony's head. Crimson liquid was spreading slowly on the mat. Mark was already on the phone calling the ambulance as McGee tried to wake Tony up but to no avail. Mark came back with a towel and McGee placed them at the wound on Tony's head to try and stop the bleeding.

Five minutes later, two paramedics arrived and started to take control over Tony. One of them removed the towel from Tony's head and replaced it with some gauze and bandage.

"He's an NCIS agent. Make sure you get him to Bethesda." McGee told the two paramedics while waiting for his boss to pick up the phone.

"Don't worry. We'll take good care of him. Nice job to stop the bleeding by the way." The paramedics smiled as they load Tony on the ambulance. McGee decided that he'll be driving Tony's car to the hospital instead.

"Gibbs. And you better have a good reason for calling me on the day off, McGee." Came the gruff reply as the line connected. Gibbs was in the middle of sanding the boat when his phone rings. At first he decided to just igore it. It's his first day off in months for god sake. But then his famous gut feeling was going into overdrive since earlier that morning.

"Um...Boss...It's Tony." Gibbs knew it. Somehow his senior field agent always managed to get into trouble without looking for it. Even on their day off. He swears that lad is gonna be the death of him someday.

"What's he got into now?" Gibbs was already climbing up the stairs and getting his wallet and keys.

"We were doing this wall climbing thing when he suddenly lose control and fall down." McGee explained to Gibbs while driving as fast as he can, as safe as possible to the hospital.

"Wall climbing? Why the hell would you guys do that thing? How bad?" Gibbs too was already en route to Bethesda.

"I know, I know. It's his idea. Apparently he's a regular at that place. It's just a small wound at the back of his head though. Probably from hitting the jugs." explained McGee.

"The what?!" Gibbs was lost at McGee's last sentence. _How could Tony hit a jug while climbing a wall?_

"Um.. The jugs is the holder attached to the wall. The thing that you hold on to while climbing, Boss." Thank God he ws listening to every words that the instructer said earlier.

"Whatever that is. I'll see you in five." Gibbs tossed his cellphone to the side and push the gas even harder.

The first thing that he noticed was the pain at the back of his head. He tried to open his eyes as he can sensed that without any doubt he's currently lying on a hospital bed. His right hand was attached to an IV so he moved his left hand to feel the back of his head. A strong calloused hand stopped his movement half-way.

"It's just a superficial wound. Nothing serious." Tony just nodded at his boss's explaination.

"How long have I been out, Boss?" His voice didn't sound very hoarse. He was thinking maybe a couple of hours.

"Just a few hours. The doctor said the hit to your head probably led to the unconsiousness. You'll be okay to discharge later this evening."

"Oh thank god! Don't think I wanna be stuck in the hospital on my day off." Tony smiled gleefully. He doesn't think that it's the best move to tell Gibbs that he was already losing his consciousness before his head hit one of the jugs. What the hell is really wrong with him?

"Hey Boss, where Timmy?" Asked Tony remembering McGee's voice before everything went south.

"I sent him home to get some rest after the doctor told us that you're okay." McGee was so worried that Gibbs had to headslap him to get his attention and to get him to go home.

"Aww...poor McWorry. Just when I thought I've help him with his height issue, seeing me fall like that must've scared the hell out of him." Tony was feeling sorry for McGee. He doesn't think that McGee is gonna get anywhere near a climbing wall in the near future.

"Get some rest, Dinozzo. I'll be back later this evening with your discharged paper." Gibbs made his way out to get more coffee and to inform the rest of the team that everything is fine with Tony.

A few minutes after Gibbs left, a tall male doctor made a way into Tony's room.

"Hello, Agent Dinozzo. I was informed by Agent Gibbs that you've regain consciousness. How are you feeling?" Dr. Marcus smiled while checking Tony's vitals.

"Hey doc. You can just call me Tony. I'm feeling pretty good actually except for this nagging headache." complained Tony when the band in his head would occasionally decided to do a metal concert without informing him first.

"It's probably the effect from hitting your head on the artificial rocks and falling down the mat. But I'm gonna do some test just as precaution. Is that okay with you?" Dr Marcus told Tony and scribbled something on his chart. Tony was weighing his decision. More tests means that if there's something wrong then he's gonna have to stay longer at the hospital.

"But I thought Agent Gibbs said that I was okayed to be discharged this evening?"

"Well Tony, that was before I found out about your complain of the headache." explained Dr. Marcus.

"I don't think it's that bad. How about I come back later to do the tests? I promised." Tony tried to negotiate with the doctor. As much as he wanted to know what's really wrong with him, he still prefers to not spend another night at the hospital.

"Alright, if you say so. I'll get the nurse to set up your appointment within this week. I will tell your boss which happens to be your next of kin if you decided not to show up during the appointment." Dr Marcus knew that when a patient like Tony has made up their mind, there's nothing much he can do except to comply and maybe use a little blackmailing technique.

"No, no. No Gibbs! I promised I'll show up." Tony smiled the best smile he could muster in his condition. He wants to keep everybody out of the loop as long as possible.

With that, Dr Marcus left Tony to rest and went to set up his appointment for the next two days.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N : Thank you for the reviews , follows &amp; favorites, awesome people! You guys made my day &amp; encourage me to write more. **

**All mistakes are mine. **

**Chapter 3**

It was an unexciting Tuesday. With no active cases, they were stuck in the bullpen since morning. Tony decided to catch up on the mountain of paperworks from the previous case. He was focused on filling up some of the forms when his cellphone suddenly broke the silence. He looked at the unfamiliar number before deciding to pick up the call.

"Tony Dinozzo on the line." He smiled upon answering. Unfortunately the smile doesn't last long as it was a nurse from Bethesda on the other line telling him that his test results are out.

"Yes…yes…I'll be there. No, you don't need to call him. See you later." McGee and Gibbs were already curious with the one sided conversation. Tony's brain was working hard trying to make up a cover story before looking up at both his teammates.

"What was that all about?" McGee asked, curiosity filling up in him. Tony just shook his head.

"Nothing. It's just something to do with my dad." He answered smoothly. He looked at Gibbs before asking him the impossible and praying that Gibbs would let him off.

"Can I be excused, Boss. Please?" Tony was doing his best to escape to the hospital without anyone suspecting.

Gibbs was contemplating. They don't have any active case at the moment. And it was already lunch time. Maybe Dinozzo Sr. did get into some sort of trouble and needed Tony to help him out.

"Go. But make sure you're reachable in case we have any case." Tony quickly got up and grabbed his gear along just to be on the safe side.

"Thanks, Boss!" With that Gibbs was left with McGee in the bullpen. Little did they know that their senior field agent's life was about to change later that afternoon.

Tony made his way toward Dr. Marcus office after checking with the nurse at the front desk. A few knocks and came the reply from inside the office telling him to come in.

"Afternoon, Dr. Marcus." Greeted Tony before taking a seat in front of Dr. Marcus's table.

"Afternoon, Tony. Please, please, take a seat." Dr. Marcus' expression was serious as a heart attack. There's a hint of worry in his face that is starting to unease Tony a little bit. Dr. Marcus turned around facing his back drawer and grabbed a file with Tony's name on the front. Tony was already quivering a little in his seat while Dr. Marcus shuffled through his file.

"So, what's the damage doc?" Tony was already expecting a bad news based on his observation on Dr. Marcus' behavior.

"Tony, trust me it's not easy for me to tell you this. We've run the tests and I'm sorry to tell you that you're on the final stage of brain cancer."

It seems like there's a dark sky hovering over Tony the moment he heard those words from Dr. Marcus. His world was spinning and he feels like he's drowning in the deep ocean. Brain cancer? He has a cancer? A brain cancer? No, no. There must be something wrong with the result. How could he, of all the things in the world, has a brain cancer? And it's in the final stage?!

"Are you really sure about this doc? You sure there are not any kind of mixed up in the files?" Tony was going through the denial stage. This cannot be happening to him.

"I'm sorry Tony. But that is the truth. The headaches you've been having are caused by the pressure of the cancerous tumor in your brain." Dr. Marcus was trying his best to explain to Tony in a layman term. He knew that it was a hard thing for Tony to digest at the moment.

"What are my options now? I mean, you said that it was in the final stage. Is there anything that we can do?"

"Based on the estimations, I can only give you at least 6 months before everything will start to deteriorate. At the moment, you have two options that you can choose. First, we can try to operate on the tumor. But I have to tell you that there's a seventy-thirty chances that things can go wrong. The second option is the safer one; you can go through chemotherapy to help delay the growth of the tumor."

Tony's world was crashing down in a matter of seconds. Six months? That's all he has left according to the doctor. There's so much things that he still hasn't done and wanted to do. And suddenly he only has six months left in this world. He held his head with both his hand and sighed heavily. He didn't want to do the operation and die on the table. He knew his chances are slim because of the state of his lungs. He also didn't want to do the chemo and live with the side effects for the rest of his short life.

"I think we need to tell Agent Gibbs and you guys will have to discuss the next action to take." Dr. Marcus suggested when Tony seems lost in his thoughts.

"No, no! I'm not telling him. And so are you! This is between the two of us." Tony quickly shot down the idea. There is no way in hell he's involving Gibbs or any of the team in this mess.

"But Tony, in this situation it's best for you to have someone to support you physically and emotionally." Tony still shook his head at Dr. Marcus' words.

"I need to deal with this alone. At least for now. You have to promise me that you will keep this between us. Doctor – patient confidentiality."

"I will. But I'm telling you that I still don't agree with your decision."

"I'm sorry but I really need to do this. Thank you Dr. Marcus for everything." With that Tony shook Dr. Marcus' hand before turning his back to leave the room.

"No problem, Tony. I'm sorry too for having to be the bearer of this bad news." Tony turned his face towards Dr. Marcus and smiled a weak smile before leaving the room for good.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N : I've received mixed reviews from you guys. Some was saying they wanted to stop reading this because it seems like a death fic. Some doesn't mind if it is a death fic. Truth is, I'm still writing it and I still haven't decided whether it is going to be death fic or not. But I assure you people that I'm keeping Tony alive for as long as possible. For now, I want to clarify that this is not a death fic. **

**Chapter 4**

Tony walk slowly along the busy hallway. Despite the shouts and voices talking, everything was tuned out. The word cancer keeps on repeating in his head. Six months. It's March and the doctor just told him that he won't make it to September.

He almost made it to the end of the hallway before a voice repeating his name a few times snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Mr. Dinozzo, there's a prescription for you to fill." Nurse Nancy gave Tony the prescription script for him to fill at the pharmacy. She smiled as she tried not to show him her pity because she knows that that is what cancer patients hate the most, the look of pity from the people around them.

"Oh, alright. Thank you." Tony grabbed the script and changed his direction towards the pharmacy. As much as he hates those pills, he hates the pain even more. So he's just filling up the prescription as a precaution in case the pain came back in full force.

Right after he's done at the pharmacy, Tony got into his car and started the engine. He rested his head on the steering wheel and let out a heavy sigh. He didn't want to go back at the office right now. He didn't think that he's strong enough to put on a show that everything is fine. With that in mind, he started to drive aimlessly.

* * *

Meanwhile at the bullpen, both McGee and Gibbs are starting to wonder about Tony's whereabouts. It's almost five o'clock and they haven't received any words from Tony. McGee keep on glancing at Tony's desk and contemplating whether to call him or not.

Gibbs gut was churning like crazy since this afternoon. He just knew that something is not right somewhere but he just couldn't make out what that is. He's just hoping that it's got nothing to do with one Anthony Dinozzo Jr. He noticed that McGee kept looking at Tony's desk and it's starting to drive him crazy.

"McGee!" he shouted. McGee startled at the sound of his voice.

"Yes, Boss."

"Just call him already!" as soon as he said that, McGee was already dialing Tony's number. He looked at McGee's direction intensely and both of them are waiting for Tony to pick up the phone. After several rings, the call was directed to the voicemail.

"He's not picking up, Boss." McGee said worried.

"Try again." Asked Gibbs as he wiped his face. _What now, Dinozzo?_

"Straight to voicemail." _What's going on here, Tony? This is not like you to break rule number 3 and be unreachable._ McGee thought to himself. He was sensing that something is definitely wrong with his teammate.

* * *

Tony looked up at his phone as it rang and McGee's smiling face fill up the whole screen. He couldn't talk right now. But if he didn't pick up then they'll think that something's wrong. And then McGee and Abby will try to trace him. He cannot let that happen for now. He needed this time alone. He needs to think about what he's going to do without any of them influencing his decision. He pushed the power button and slides the screen to switch off the phone. He's gonna deal with Gibbs' wrath later for breaking rule number 3.

His drive came to a stop when his head started to show signs of a headache. Tony pulled over to the side of the unfamiliar road. He pinched the bridge of his nose trying to relieve the pain. When that didn't help much, he proceeds to massaging both his temples with the heel of his hands. He then grabbed the painkillers and swallowed them to help ease the pain. With his eyes closed, Tony leaned his head at the headrest and waited for the pills to make their way into his system.

A knock to his window woke Tony up from his slumber. He looked at his watch and realized that he had fallen asleep for almost an hour. He rubbed his eyes before looking out the window to see an elderly couple standing right outside his car. Tony rolled down the window to talk to them.

"Hello there, young man. My name is Beth and this is my husband Ian. We were driving by and we saw your car at the roadside. I seriously thought something is wrong when I see you unconscious in the car. Is everything alright, my dear?" the nice old lady explained to Tony while his husband was looking at Tony suspiciously.

"Hello Beth, Ian. My name is Tony. I'm so sorry for worrying you guys. I'm just taking a break from the drive. Everything's peachy, I assure you." Tony smiled at Beth. He felt guilty for making the old lady worry and for lying to them.

"Just where are you heading, Tony? It's already dark and I got to tell you that it's pretty dangerous to drive out here at night. You're lucky it's us who found you and not some kind of thugs who probably would've robbed you and left."

"I still have no destination at the moment. Just driving around trying to clear my thoughts. And thank you, Beth for not robbing me and left me out here alone." Tony joked trying to ease Beth's worries.

"Oh dear. Can we get him to come with us for the night, darling Ian?" Ian just nodded silently. He didn't see Tony as a threat to him and his wife. Just a man with no direction who they happened to stumble upon.

"Come on then, dear Tony. Stay with us for the night. You can leave early in the morning tomorrow." Beth smiled inviting Tony to spend the night with them. She can see beyond the smile on that young man that something is definitely wrong. His green eyes lacked of life and his whole body just shows how exhausted he is.

"I don't want to trouble you and Ian. I can find some motel somewhere in the town." Tony hesitated. He really didn't want to be a burden to anyone at the moment. Let alone someone he just met a few minutes ago.

"No, no. I insist. The town is half an hour from here and you already looked pretty beat, my dear. Our cottage is just a couple of minutes from here." Beth tried to convince Tony to stay with them for the night.

Tony took a couple of minutes before making up his mind. Truth is he was pretty exhausted. Both physically and mentally. Beth and Ian seemed like nice people. And he can't really say no with that pleading face Beth was pulling right now. _She seems to know my weakness for nice old lady. _

"Alright then. If you insist. I'm more than grateful to spend the night at your cottage." Tony smiled his mega-watt smile to Beth and Ian.

"Good lad. Now you just follow us with your car. It's just a mile from here." With that, Tony started his engine and followed Ian's pick up truck back to their cottage.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

True to her words, it took only a few minutes to reach the couple's cottage. It's a nice little cottage with well-groom front yard and surrounded by the nature. Tony killed the engine and stepped out of his car. He did a light stretching as the long aimless drive is starting to hurt his back. He then head towards the trunk of his car to retrieve his duffel bag. Thank god he has that bag containing his spare clothes and basic toiletries always ready in his car.

"Come on now, dear. Don't be shy." Beth smiled inviting Tony into their cozy little home. Ian unlocked the front door and switched on the light. The inside of the house was simple with minimal furniture but somehow there's a homey aura the moment Tony stepped his foot into the house. He's starting to feel glad that he decided to spend the night with them.

"Make yourself feel at home, Tony. Ian darling, why don't you show him the guest room for him to settle down tonight."

"Follow me, boy." Ian gestured to Tony to follow him as he leads them to the guest's room.

"Get some rest and freshen up. Dinner will be ready in half an hour." Told Ian upon entering the room.

"Thank you, Ian. And I'm sorry for troubling both of you." Said Tony as he put his bag on the bed. Ian just smiled and shook his head letting Tony know that he's not a trouble to both of them.

Tony lay on the bed and closed his eyes. So many things are happening in his life in a short amount of time. He knew that he cannot put too much stress on himself or his health is going to become worse. He wiped his face before getting up and head to the bathroom to freshen up.

Looking at the mirror he can tell that he looked worse that he thought. His face was pale and his eyes were bloodshot with dark circles around them. No wonder Beth said he looked pretty beat. He opened the tap and started splashing water to his face. Feeling a little refresh, he changed his shirt and pants into his Buckeye t-shirt and sweat pants.

The moment he stepped out the room he can smell that something delicious is happening in the kitchen. The sound of his stomach reminded him that the last meal he had was a muffin for breakfast. As if on cue, Beth emerged from the kitchen holding a pot of Bolognese sauce in her hands.

"Oh, Beth. You seriously reminded me of my nonna." Tony was already joining Ian at the dining table. Beth laughed at Tony's remarks.

"I knew that it wasn't a mistake for me to cook something Italian today." Said Beth as she started to fill up both Ian and Tony's plate with a hearty amount of spaghetti and Bolognese sauce.

"You can never go wrong with something Italian for dinner." Tony told her as he started to eat his food.

"So Tony, what's your story? I heard you said something about clearing your head earlier?" Ian tried to make some conversation with Tony.

Tony was thankful that he didn't have a full mouth upon hearing that question. He choked a little before sipping the water and cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry. Umm… It's nothing actually. It's just that I received some bad news earlier and I'm still in the process of digesting them." Tony politely wiped his mouth with the napkin as he told them the basics.

"You know what? I was in your shoes once. A couple of years ago, I was diagnosed with a breast cancer and the doctor told me that I only have less than a year to live." Again, Tony was thankful that his mouth was empty or else he would've sprayed everything from the shock of hearing Beth's words. What are the odds of him meeting a cancer survivor just after he found out about his.

"What happened to you?" asked Tony curiously.

"I was so depressed the moment I heard those news. I didn't tell Ian at first. I didn't want him to feel sorry for me or feel like I was a burden to him. I tried to go through it all by myself. But I'm telling you that it was the biggest mistake I've made." Tony felt like he was being slapped in the face. He was feeling and doing exactly what Beth did and considered as the biggest mistake.

"And why would you feel that way, Beth?"

"Because the pressure I'm putting on myself to keep everything to myself was taking a toll on my health. I was so stressful that my cancer was growing faster than it should. That's when I decided that I need to tell Ian about it. I need someone to help me emotionally. Someone I can count on to help me at my worst moment." Beth's eyes were starting to fill up with tears the moment she retold the story. It's always a sensitive minutes for her everytime she remembers about that moment.

"After that we started changing our lifestyle. I started to live positively, going religiously to the chemo sessions and I managed to prove the doctor wrong as I'm still breathing in this world years after he told me I was supposed to be dead." Ian was holding Beth's hand by the end of the story because he knows how lucky they were to have been able to escape the death sentence.

"Don't you have any family to be there for you dear?" asked Beth upon seeing the look on Tony's face.

"Well, I lost my mother when I was eight. My father was kind of estranged with me though we did try to make our relationship work. But I had a nice group of people at my workplace that I considered as my family." Tony smiled at the thoughts of his little family at NCIS.

"Then why don't you share the news with them. Trust me; it's not doing you any good trying to keep everything to yourself." Beth told Tony and Ian agreed one hundred percent with his wife.

"I don't know. I don't want them to pity me and I don't want to become a burden to them. I mean, what if they started to treat me differently when they found out about my problems? I don't want that. I don't need any special treatment. I just want them to be the same to me."

"Believe me boy. They're not gonna feel that way. They might care for you but that's what families are for. To help you when you're down on your knees." It was Ian's turn to convince Tony to share his problems with someone else.

"I'll think about it. Thank you for sharing your story, Beth. And for this wonderful dinner." Tony started to make his way out as exhaustion was slowly creeping into his body.

"No problem, my dear. I hope you'll figure it out by morning. Have a good night sleep." Said Beth as she hugged Tony dearly.

"I'll try. Good night, Ian, Beth." He made his way to the guest room after both Ian and Beth said their goodnights to him.

Lying in the bed, Tony started to think about all the things that Beth and Ian had told him earlier. How it is possible to beat the odds, how it is important to always have someone to share the misery, how it is essential to be surrounded by positivity. He switched on his phone, typed a quick message before sending it to Gibbs and switched it back off.

**A/N : I'm sorry if some of you feel affected by this issue of cancer. I personally lost a couple of close family members to cancer and a couple of them are still battling with it. (Unfortunately for me, cancer is in our traits) I hope I didn't offend anyone with this fic and I hope you will continue reading it to the end. Much love.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I don't really know how to write the female characters except for Abby. So, let's just say this is somewhere between after Ziva left and before Bishop joined the team. **

**Chapter 6**

It was four in the morning when Gibbs suddenly woke up from his slumber. His heartbeat was racing fast as he remembered the dream he had earlier. _He was staring at a coffin and Tony's body was inside it looking peaceful. They were all there, saying their goodbyes to him. _

No! It's just a dream. Gibbs headslapped his own head._Stupid Tony for missing in action._ He took his cellphone to check the time. His stomach was doing a backflip when he noticed he got a text message from Tony's number.

_Hey, Boss. Sorry for leaving just like that. Something came up and I need some time off. Promise I'll be back when I'm ready. Don't worry about me and tell the rest to do the same. _

_-Tony.D_

Gibbs called the number but to his disappointment it went straight to the voicemail. _Something came up? What something?_ He was about to smash his phone from frustration before deciding against it. He flipped the phone back on and dialed McGee's number.

"Hey, Boss. We got a case?" McGee yawned on the other line. It's way too early for his boss to call unless theyhave a case.

"Nope. It's Tony. Get to the office as soon as possible. And tell Abby to come too." That was all that Gibbs said before disconnecting the line.

Upon hearing that, McGee's eyes went wide. All trace of sleepiness was gone in mere seconds. He dialed Abby's number and put the phone on loudspeaker as he rushed around the room getting ready.

"Go for Abby. Do we have a case, McGee." Abby's sleepy voice was on the line as soon as she picked up the call.

"Hey, Abby. It's about Tony. Gibbs wants to see us at the office as soon as possible." McGee shouted as he was on the way from the bathroom when the line connected.

"What? Alright. I'll be there in fifteen minutes. Is it good news or bad news?" asked Abby as she frantically trying to get ready.

"I have no idea. I'll see you at the office and we'll find out together."

"Okay. See you in a bit." With that, both of them rushed towards the office as fast as possible.

* * *

Gibbs was already at his desk with a cup of coffee in his hand waiting for McGee and Abby. He kept rereading the text message for the tenth time trying to get something from the text. Some clue or some hint on what's really going on with his SFA.

The elevator dings and the door opened revealing one exhausted looking field agent and one sleepy looking goth forensic scientist. They both hurried towards Gibbs' desk upon seeing him already there.

"What's up with Tony, Gibbs? Is he okay? Where is he? Is he coming back? Is he here already?" Abby was shooting series of questions like she always did when she's nervous.

"Abs, Abs, calm down." Gibbs said as he hugged his favorite goth. Gibbs opened the text message he got from Tony and showed it to both of them.

"I got this last night. Didn't realize about it till earlier this morning. Tried calling him back but the phone's switched off already. Think you guys can try to trace it?" Abby and McGee looked at each other. Gibbs was actually asking them nicely. He must be really worried about Tony.

"Don't worry,bossman! We will try our very best to locate our missing agent. Probably you can talk to the director about Tony's request for some time off." Abby said determine to do her very best to find Tony's whereabouts. Gibbs just nodded and both Abby and McGee made their way to Abby's lab.

* * *

"Hey Abs. Do you think it's okay for us to do this to Tony? I mean, he did tell us that he wanted some time off." McGee was feeling a little guilty for invading Tony's privacy by tracing his cell and back tracing his phone records.

"I don't know McGee. I know he wanted some time off. But leaving just like that without telling us first, there must be something really wrong with him." Abby said as her eyes were fixed on the screen and her fingers were doing their thing on the keyboard. At this moment, they were thankful there are no crazy navy &amp; marine killers on a killing spree out there.

McGee was going through Tony's phone records when his eyes caught a number on the incoming list yesterday afternoon. It was about the time Tony said something about his father getting into some trouble. He tried to call the number to see whether the person knew anything about Tony's missing act.

"Hello, Bethesda Naval Hospital. How may I help you?" McGee's heart started to race fast. Could it be that Tony's dad was in an accident?

"Um. Hello. This is Agent Timothy McGee from NCIS. I was wondering if you have a patient with a name of Anthony Dinozzo Sr. checking in yesterday?"

"Can you hold on for a second while I checked the records?"

"Yes, please." Abby was already hovering over McGee hoping for some news about Tony.

"Hello Agent McGee. Thank you for waiting on the line. According to our record, there is an outpatient checking in for an appointment yesterday with the name Anthony Dinozzo Jr. not Sr." Abby and McGee were both in shocked. It was Tony and not his father. But why would he lie about going to the hospital?

"I'm sorry. I meant Anthony Dinozzo Jr. Which department is he referred to?"

"I'm sorry but I cannot disclose that information to you. But I can forward you to his attending doctor if you would like to." Said the nurse on the line.

"Yes. I would be glad if you could do that." Both McGee and Abby was already nervous waiting for the line to be connected to the attending doctor.

"Hello, Dr. Marcus on the line." _Dr Marcus? Isn't that Tony's doctor when he was admitted due the fall during the wall climbing?_ McGee thought to himself.

"Uh, hello Dr. Marcus. This is Agent McGee, Agent Dinozzo's partner. I was wondering if you could tell us about Tony's condition." McGee was trying to act as if he knew about whatever it is that Tony is dealing with.

"Oh hello Agent McGee. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you anything about Tony as it is part of the doctor-patient confidentiality and also I've promised Tony to keep the news between the two of us." _So I see he still hasn't told his team about his condition. Oh, Tony. What have you got yourself into…_

"But this is important to us. We cannot find him and we need to know what his dealing with?" Abby was on the line trying to keep herself from going hysterical for not knowing what's really wrong with her Tony.

"I'm so sorry Madam. But I really can't help you on this one. It's his decision and as a doctor, I need to respect that." As much as he wanted to tell them about Tony, he had promised him and he intended to keep that promise.

By the time they were done talking on the phone, McGee was already on his way to hack the hospital's database. He knew what he did was wrong but he really need to know about Tony's problem. There's no way he's leaving his friend dealing with whatever it is all by himself.

Half and hour later, Abby was still tracking Tony's last known location while McGee was almost done hacking through the hospital's database. As soon as he managed to get into the database, he wished he's never done it in the first place.

_Anthony D. Dinozzo. Brain cancer. Stage four. Estimation 6 months. *patient refused treatment at the moment._


	7. Chapter 7

Tony woke up from his sleep to a pounding headache. He grabbed his head tightly trying to minimize the pain. He tried to get up and walked to the bathroom as nausea was taking over. Walking slowly with the help of the wall, he managed to get into the bathroom before violently retching in the toilet. He kept vomiting until there's nothing left but bile.

This in not how he wanted to spend his last six months. Helplessly puking his guts out in the toilet. With much effort, he stood up and lean against the sink. _Good lord, I looked like shit! _Tony thought as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. He rinsed his mouth trying to get of the awful aftertaste before bracing himself to walk back to the bed.

He almost made it to the bed before his body can't take it anymore and decided to blackout from the pain. The next thing he knew his body was heading towards the floor before everything went black.

Ian was on his way to the kitchen when he heard a loud thump coming from Tony's room as he passed by the room. He quickly stopped and knocked on the door.

"Tony! Tony! Is everything okay in there? Tony!" worry at the lack of response, Ian tried to push the door open. Thankful that the door was unlock, he was greeted by the view of unconscious Tony lying on the floor.

"Oh God! Tony! Tony! Wake up, son! Beth!" Ian was shouting for Beth when he failed to wake Tony up. Beth was rushing from the back yard when she heard her husband shouting for her. She almost fainted as soon as she saw Tony lying on the floor with his head resting on Ian's lap.

"Oh lord! What happened, Ian? Why is he unconscious?" Beth was kneeling next to Tony trying to wake him up.

"I have no idea. I found him like this when I went in. I need you to help me get him up on the bed." They both struggled to get Tony onto the bed.

"I think he had a fever. His temperature is rising." Ian said as he put his hand on Tony's forehead. Beth quickly went to the kitchen to retrieve some basin and towel. She came back with a basin full of water and started to wipe the wet towel on Tony's head. At that moment, Ian's eyes caught an orange vial bottle at the night stand. He took the bottle and read the prescription.

"Honey, I think we got a bigger problem." He told Beth showing her the name of the painkiller.

"Oxycodone? But that's what I took for my pain during my… Oh my God!" Beth didn't get to finish her sentence when she realized what Tony meant by his bad news last night. Oh God. Poor boy. No wonder he looked tired and unwell.

"My dear boy. We have so much to talk about once you're awake." Beth continued to wipe Tony's head trying to bring down his temperature.

* * *

He woke up and realized that he's no longer lying on the floor. Instead he was nicely tucked in the bed with a cold towel on his head. Oh God. Beth and Ian must've found him. He realized. Now he has to tell them what's really wrong with him.

Tony took the towel of his head and put it on the side. He slowly moved his upper body up so that he was in a seating position. The door opened up and Ian walked in.

"I'm glad to see that you're awake, boy." Ian told him as he took a seat next to the bed.

"Hey, Ian. How long was I out?"

"Most of the day. It's almost dinner time." Tony ruffled his hair lightly. He was feeling guilty that both Beth and Ian ended up taking care of him for the whole day.

"I'm sorry for troubling you guys." He said ruefully.

"Who said anything about troubling us?" Beth came in with a tray of food. She put the tray on the side table before seating on the other side of the bed facing Ian.

"Hey Beth." Tony smiled shyly. He was touched at the hospitality by both Ian and Beth. Caring for him when he was just a stranger they met yesterday.

"You think you can handle eating by yourself? Or you want me to feed you?" Beth was teasing Tony to lighten up the atmosphere.

"I think I'm good to eat by myself, Beth." Tony quickly picked up the bowl containing a steaming chicken soup. He wasn't having that much appetite but he knew he has to eat someting and he wanted to reassure Beth.

"This is good. Thank you so much, Beth, Ian. I owe so guys so much." Tony said as he pushed aside the bowl after the fifth spoon.

"Don't mention it, Tony. But I do want to ask you something and I want you to tell us the truth." Beth's expression changed. Tony swallowed nervously and nodded. He knew what Beth is going to ask him and there's no way he's able to hide it from them. Especially not after the stunt he pulled this morning.

"What kind of cancer was it, dear?"

"How did you know it was cancer?" Tony was shocked. He thought Beth was going to ask what's wrong with him.

"My boy, I used to pop up oxycodone like candies, you know." said Beth as she handed Tony a glass of orange juice.

Tony took a sip of the juice before answering Beth's question. "It's... Umm... It's a brain cancer." Both Beth and Ian gasped at Tony's answer. Beth quickly pulled Tony into something resembling an Abby-hug.

"See, this is the reason I don't want to tell people about my disease. They tend to pity me." Tony sighed heavily. As much as he feels comforted by Beth's hug, he just don't fancy the pity look they gave him.

"Dear boy, this isn't pity. This is us, feeling your pain. This is us, caring for you. You did remember what I said last night, don't you?" Tony nodded slowly.

"Tony, as a family member, I feel betrayed when Beth first hide the illness from me. I felt like she didn't love me or trust me enough to share her pain with me. Now I have a feeling that your little family you told us last night might be feeling the same if you keep hiding this from them." Ian told Tony.

Tony was feeling remorseful. He knew what Ian said was absolutely true and he knew he can't hide this pain sooner or later. He was about to say something when he suddenly grimaced from the pain in his head.

Beth noticed Tony's change of expression and quickly handed him the oxycodone and a glass of plain water. She felt guilty for confronting him when he's still not feeling really well.

"I'm sorry dear Tony. I think we might've pressure to a bit too much. Get some rest." Ian was helping Tony into the sleeping position before Beth tucked him in. Tony nodded weakly before closing his eyes waiting for the pain to ease.

**A/N : Again, I want to thank all of you awesome people for inspiring me to write this story to the end! :) **

**Next chapter, how do McGee breaks the bad news to the boss? Wait for it. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_Half an hour later, Abby was still tracking Tony's last known location while McGee was almost done hacking through the hospital's database. As soon as he managed to get into the database, he wished he's never done it in the first place._

_Anthony D. Dinozzo. Brain cancer. Stage four. Estimation 6 months. *patient refused treatment at the moment._

McGee gasped. No way! This cannot be true. He was frantically typing again to make sure everything is correct. He banged his head on the keyboard when the screen showed the same result. Abby diverted her attention from her computer screen.

"What's wrong, McGee?" she asked when she saw McGee's eyes fixed on the screen while repeatedly chanting the word 'no'. McGee looked at Abby. How was he supposed to tell her? How was he supposed to tell Gibbs? And Ducky? He got up from his seat and pulled Abby into a hug.

"McGee…?" Abby was starting to feel uneasy at McGee's behavior.

"Abby, I need you to calm down. I… I…Ummm… found out about Tony's problem." McGee was lost on how he should continue telling Abby.

"What McGee? What's wrong with Tony?" Abby was partially screaming at the moment. McGee stuttering and looking lost, that must be some really bad news.

"He…Abby…he had brain cancer. He only got 6 months, Abs." Abby's face paled upon hearing the words. There must be some mistake. She almost passed out on the floor before McGee grabbed her and supported her weight. She burst into tears as she buried her face in McGee's chest. This is not happening! Her Tony. Her Tony cannot possibly be dying in 6 months.

McGee was lost. Abby was crying like a baby. McGee snapped out of his shock when he remembered about Gibbs. Still holding Abby in his embrace, he hit the speed dial for Gibbs.

"Boss, I think you need to come down to the lab now. And bring Ducky too. It's about Tony."

Gibbs was on his way back to the office getting his fifth cup of coffee when he received the call from McGee. Ending the call, he picked up the pace while dialing the morgue's number.

"Hey Duck. We're needed at Abby's lab right now. McGee said it's something to do with Tony."

A few minutes later, both Gibbs and Ducky made their way towards Abby's lab. Both were taken aback at what they saw inside the lab. McGee was sitting on the floor while Abby was sobbing in McGee's chest.

"What the hell is going on here?" Gibbs asked the moment he was standing a few inches away from McGee. He squatted and pulled Abby from McGee and faced her.

"Hey, Abs. What's wrong? Are you okay?" Abby shook her head and hugged Gibbs tightly. She can't even form a word without bursting into tears.

"My dear, Timothy, what's really going on here? Why is Abigail crying like a baby here? And what do you want to tell us about Anthony?" Ducky tried to understand the situation they're in.

"You found where Tony is?" McGee shook his head at Gibbs question. He really didn't know how to break the news to the boss. He knew how much Gibbs care for Tony although sometimes he acted like he didn't care. To hear what he's about to tell them, he was afraid of what might happened.

"Um… We still couldn't locate him, Boss. But…"

"But what, Tim?" Gibbs was starting to become impatient. Abby's crying, McGee's stuttering and Tony's still missing in action. He took a deep breath trying to calm himself down.

"We knew what's wrong with him. He was at the hospital yesterday." Gibbs was dumbfounded. Why would Tony go to the hospital without informing him? And why would he lie about going to the hospital?

"And?" McGee wiped the sweat forming on his forehead. He didn't think he could tell the bossman and the duckman the extremely bad news.

"I really don't think I can break this to you guys. This is so hard for me to say. But I think you need to see it for yourselves on the screen." McGee pointed at his laptop screen.

Gibbs got up slowly as his bad knee popped and faced the laptop screen. He squinted his eyes trying to make sure he's actually reading what he's reading. _What the hell?_

"McGee, are sure this is not some kind of mistake?" Gibbs sat on the chair covering his face with both his palms. How could it be true? His younger agent is out there somewhere with a tumor in his brain waiting for it to kill him slowly.

"I'm sure, boss. I've rechecked several times before confirming it." McGee was having a mixed feeling. Frustated that Tony decided to keep the news from them, afraid that they might be losing Tony and anxious to find Tony as soon as possible.

"My lord. We have to find him. We cannot let him handle this matter all by himself." Ducky was still shocked by the news he just got. His mind was working on overdrive trying to come up with anything that could possibly help his friend.

Gibbs was still silently thinking to himself. How could he not see this coming? He was Tony's next of kin for god's sake. And Ducky was Tony's physician. How could both of them missed any signs that that younger man was sick. Gibbs almost freaked out thinking of all the headslaps he'd given Tony for the past few months. _Oh God! Could it be that I made it worse?_

"Oh Duck. How can I not noticed it earlier? Could it be because of my stupid headslaps that he's getting worse?" Gibbs voice was full of guilt.

"No, no, Jethro. You have no blame in all this. Some people tend to ignore the signs of the early brain cancer. They just considered it to be just a minor headache or stress headaches. Unfortunately, knowing our dear Anthony, he must've dismissed the signs as just a mere headache." Explained Ducky not wanting Gibbs to blame himself. If anyone should be blamed, it should be him. He is the young lad's physician. He should've been more alert to Anthony's wellbeing.

The gloomy atmosphere disappered with the loud ping and repeated blinking on Abby's computer screen. Abby jumped up quickly facing the screen in just a second. The loud ping meant she's able to locate Tony's last known location. It meant there is hope that they will find Tony.

All eyes were now focused on the screen as Abby was typing madly. A few seconds later, Abby shouted a loud 'yes!' indicating that she succeeded in finding Tony's last known location.

"According to this, he was last located at Richmond, Virginia. That's about two to three hours drive from here." Abby told the rest.

Gibbs looked at the time. It's almost four p.m. If he make a move now, it'll be almost dark by the time he reached Richmond. Then it'll be hard to look around to find Tony.

"McGee, go home, pack and be ready at 0500. We'll make a move to Richmond early in the morning tomorrow." McGee nodded at the orders. He was thinking the same as Gibbs. There's no way it be easy to search for Tony at night time.

"Hey, Abs. Look at me." Gibbs hold Abby's face and looket at her straight in the eyes. "I promise you I'll bring him back and we're all gonna figure this out together. Okay?" Abby nodded and hugged Gibbs before turning around. She picked up Bert and squezeed him tightly. _Tony will be okay. He will be and he better be!_

**A/N : I don't live in the USA. So I was just guessing the distance from DC to Richmond based on Google. Do correct me if I'm wrong. **

**Next up, the long awaited confrontation! **


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

It was exactly 0730 when they reached the town of Richmond. The journey there was mostly silent except for McGee giving the road instruction to Gibbs. They were both lost in their thoughts on how they should react when they find Tony. Gibbs was mostly feeling guilty for not realizing sooner while McGee was having a couple of feelings jumbled up together.

"Maybe we can stop for gas, boss. And we could ask around at the same time." McGee suggested as he saw a gas station sign a couple of miles from there. Gibbs just nodded and steered the car towards the station.

The moment the car stopped, both Gibbs and McGee got out of the car to stretch themselves. McGee headed towards the counter to pay for the gas and to ask about Tony at the same time.

"Hi. My name is Agent McGee from NCIS. I was wondering if you've seen this guy around a couple of days ago?" McGee asked the blonde teenage boy working behind the counter. He showed Tony's face on his phone to the teenager.

"Um... Is he some kind of criminal or what?" the boy asked back before answering McGee's question. He looked at the familiar face of the mischief smiling guy on the screen.

McGee shook his head. "No, no. He's one of ours. He's a friend of mine."

"I think I saw him a couple of days ago. He stopped for some gas and a bottle of drinks. I was working the afternoon shift that day. He kinda looked different though." the boy explained to McGee. The guy he saw the other day and the guy on the phone seems like the same guy physically. But there's just something different with the guy he saw. Like there's something missing.

"How different?" McGee was worried. Could it be that Tony was sick at that time?

"It's like his head was somewhere else. Like he's moving in autopilot, you know." explained the boy about Tony's behavior on that day.

"Could you remember where he was headed?"

The boy nodded his head. "I think he went that way." He pointed towards the south. "I was bored that day and I have a pretty strong memory." He explained smiling, feeling proud that he could be of some help.

McGee thanked him before heading back to Gibbs who's already waiting in the car. "Good news, boss. The attendant saw Tony and said that he headed down south. Probably we could follow the path and asked around." Gibbs nodded and started driving.

They made another stop a few minutes later as Gibbs noticed a crowd of people was gathering at a market. He and McGee got out from the car to try and talk to some of the people. Gibbs mind was somewhere else when he accidentally stumbled upon an old lady with a nice pretty smile.

"I'm sorry madam. Didn't notice you for a second." Gibbs was kneeling helping the old lady picking up her groceries.

"It's okay dear. You're not from here are you? What brings you to this town?" The lady asked upon seeing Gibbs face for the first time.

"I'm here looking for a colleague. A friend." Answered Gibbs showing the lady a picture of Tony he kept in his jacket.

The lady gasped as she saw the photo shown by Gibbs. "Oh dear. You must be Tony's co worker." Gibbs' expression changed at the mention of Tony's name. How could this lady possibly know Tony's name when Gibbs hadn't mention anything about it.

"How did you know his name? Did you know him? Is he here?" Gibbs bombarded the lady with questions as he was curious on how she came to know his younger agent.

"I know you have a lot of things you wondered about at this moment. And yes, Tony is here but he's at my house. Why don't you come with me?" She gestured Gibbs to follow her as McGee made his way towards them.

"What's wrong, boss?" McGee asked the moment he saw the bossman's facial expression changed.

"She said she knows about Tony." He answered McGee pointing at the lady. McGee looked confusedly at both of them. _What's going on here?_ He thought to himself.

"You must be fairly confused dear boy. My name is Beth and yes, I do know about your dear friend, Tony." Beth explained as she looked at the confused look on McGee's face. "Now follow me back to the cottage and I'll tell you everything." With that, all three of them made their way towards Beth's cottage.

* * *

First and foremost, he was utterly thankful to both Beth and Ian for keeping the atmosphere in the room as soothing as possible. No loud noises, minimal lighting and everything he might need are within reaching distance. Second, he was glad that the metal band in his head decided to take it easy for the morning. No pounding headache. No sharp stabbing pain. Maybe just a little bit of throbbing every now and then.

Tony got up from the bed. He was feeling a little guilty for overstaying his welcome at the cottage. He did plan to move along yesterday. Going somewhere else before maybe finally going back to DC. But everything changed when he collapsed in the morning. Another night spent at the cottage. Whatever it is, he did feel glad for the fact that he passed out at Ian's home. Who knew what would happen if he passed out while driving somewhere. Probably he'll end up crashing and worst, involving someone else's life.

The journey to the bathroom was better than yesterday's. He made it just fine and again, since the last three days, he cursed when he saw his reflection in the mirror. He looked like he just woke up from the dead. _Okay, maybe that's not an appropriate expression to use right now._ He said to himself in his mind. Tony then decided to at least make an effort to look okay and lessen Beth and Ian's worry.

Around half an hour later, he was already dress in fresh clothing looking more like his usual self. His stomach was grumbling knowing that the last thing he ate was just a few spoons of chicken porridge the night before. Tony stepped out of the room making his way towards the kitchen when he suddenly heard two all too familiar voices talking in the living area.

"What the fuck?" he cursed loudly when he saw Gibbs and McGee sitting on the couch talking to Beth. All eyes focused on him upon hearing his voice. McGee looked shocked while Gibbs was being his usual stony self although there's a hint of worry in his eyes as he looked at Tony.

"Hey, Tony." McGee stuttered not knowing how to respond to Tony's reaction.

"I asked you for one simple thing! One simple request to be left alone! And you can't even respect that?!" he lashed out looking at Gibbs before storming into the room and locked the door. He was utterly pissed right now. Pissed that they found him when he's not ready to talk to them. Pissed that they did not respect his request for some time alone and pissed at himself for not having the guts to face them. He just hates this situation he's in at the moment...

**A/N : I got caught up in RL and somehow my muse is all over the place. Promised I'll update more soon. :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

He pressed the heel of his palms on his forehead as a sudden force of headache hit him. He knew it was caused by the stress he was facing at the moment. And he really needs to calm down and let go of the negative energy. Rubbing his temples in circular motion, he took a deep breath trying to calm himself down.

The knock on the door distracted him from his calming process. He was still battling whether to face Gibbs and McGee or not. Part of him wanted to talk to them. To do as Beth and Ian told him to do, sharing the pain with them. But part of him wanted to be alone and sort this mess out first. There was so many things that he needed to think about first. His job at NCIS, his dad, the team and other stuffs in his life.

"Tony dear. Open up please. I just wanted to talk to you. Just me." Beth's soothing voice was convincing him to open the door. He got up slowly and with careful steps made his way to the door. He opened up a little and leaned against the frame. Beth looked at him worriedly upon seeing the strained look on his face.

"Are you okay, dear?" she asked while guiding Tony back to the bed. Tony just nodded slowly as he took a seat back on the bed.

"Just a little headache. Probably from the anxiety." He smiled trying to reassure Beth. She sat next to Tony and rubbed his back in circular motion.

"My dear boy. I'm so sorry for bringing them to you. If only I knew that you would react this way, I would never let them see you in the first place."

"No, no, Beth. None of this is your fault. It's my fault as much as theirs. I'm sorry for reacting that way. I guessed I wasn't ready to face them." Tony said as he let out a big sigh. Beth is not to blame in this situation. In fact Tony felt guilty that because of him, Beth had to face all this drama. He was the one to be blamed in the first place for taking off just like that. He knew he caused his teammates to worry about him and that led them to take the action they're taking. And his been causing troubles to Beth and Ian since the first time he met them. _And it's only been three days. _

"May I say something, Tony?" Tony looked at Beth's face and nodded wordlessly. "I know it's hard for you to do this. But as I said a few nights ago, I've been in your place. And trust me dear, you are gonna need them to pull through this. I suggest you clear up your mind and talk with them. Now I'm not forcing you, I'm not trying to influence you. I just think that for them to go through such measures to find you, you must be that important to them." Beth finished her sentence, got up from the bed, kissed Tony's head and left the bedroom leaving Tony alone with his thoughts.

Tony slammed his body on the bed and covered his head with both his hand. He let out another big sigh. He knew sooner or later, he's gonna have to face Gibbs and McGee. Knowing them, there is no way they're going to leave before they got the chance to talk to him. Hitting his head lightly with his fist, he thought back about what Beth said earlier. About how the team made an effort to find him and finding out about his situation. He knew they're the only concerned about him. He got up again, took a deep breath and head towards the door. With his hand on the knob, he prayed for the strength to face his boss and his junior agent.

* * *

"Boss, do you think we're doing the right thing? I mean, he looked pissed off." McGee said to Gibbs as he paced aimlessly in the living room. Gibbs just ignored McGee as he didn't have the answer to the question. Were they doing the right thing? Hell, he didn't know. He still cannot forget the sound of hurt in Tony's voice earlier. How he wished he could make all the pain and fears disappear.

All of a sudden McGee went stoic as he saw Tony heading towards them both. He wiped the sweat on his face nervously and took a seat next to Gibbs. Upon seeing McGee's reaction, Gibbs looked up and saw Tony taking a seat in front of them. It's only three days but his senior agent looked as if he's been aging for years. The pain in his eyes, the wrinkle on his forehead and the pale complexion of his skin, it just portrayed how much Tony is hurting, physically and emotionally.

"Sorry for earlier. I sort of lost it." Tony was the first to break the silence.

"Not your fault. We totally understand your reaction. We're the ones who're supposed to say sorry for not respecting your wish." McGee answered trying to clear the situation.

"You okay, DiNozzo? Why'd you just leave like that?" Gibbs never took his eyes of Tony.

"Do I look okay, Boss? Do you think I'm okay?" he raised his voice before he rubbed his face. "I'm sorry. Lost it. Again." He sighed heavily. Gibbs and McGee just kept quite. They knew Tony had a lot to say and they didn't want to interrupt him.

"Truth is, I'm not okay, okay? I just found out that I only have six months to live. Six freaking months. I'm starting to feel weak. I cannot do anything properly anymore. I cannot sleep without taking the pain pills; I cannot eat without throwing them all up again. I'm sorry that I left. I'm scared okay. I'm scared to die. I'm scared of feeling helpless every single day!"

Tony buried his face in his arms. A couple of tears escaped his eyes. Saying all that out loud to his team just made it feel much real and it took all his strength to admit it. Gibbs got up from his seat and sat next to Tony. He lifted up Tony's face and looked at him straight in the eyes.

"Hey. I know you're scared. I know that you're feeling helpless. That's why we're here. To help you through it." Gibbs told him not able to mask the concern in his voice. He hugged Tony and ruffled his hair lightly. A couple more tears escaped Tony's eyes as McGee took his turn to hug Tony and comfort him.

"It's okay Tony. We're gonna figure this out together. All of us." McGee said as he patted Tony on the back.

In the back, Beth was smiling with tears running down her cheeks as Ian hugged her tightly while they watch the confrontation between the three people.

"Aw… Don't you just love happy endings, my darling?" Ian laughed lightly and kissed Beth's head. _Yup. He does love happy endings. _

…

**A/N: I'm extremely sorry for the lack of update. Been busy running around as I'm in the process of opening up a boutique. **

**A couple more chapters before this story comes to an end. Will try my best to update more as soon as possible. **

**Again, thank you for the follows, favs and reviews. Sorry can't reply them one by one. I love each and everyone of you for the positivity. Much love.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"So, what do you say if you come back with us to DC and we'll figure this out together?" Gibbs looked at Tony waiting for his answer. Tony smiled slowly before nodding his head in agreement. Maybe this is the right decision all along. Maybe if he only has six months, it's the right call to spend his remaining life with his little makeshift family. Maybe it wasn't so bad to be surrounded by the positive vibes from Abby, the tales from Ducky and Palmer, the occasional smirk from Gibbs (no more headslaps from that old man) and the delightful smile from Tim whenever Delilah's around. He can do this. Spending his last few months with them.

Tony turned around to head to the bedroom when he saw two people who really help a lot in setting his life straight again. He walked towards Beth before embracing her in an Abby-hug and thanked her for everything she had done in the past three days.

He then hugged Ian after his shirt was drenched in Beth's tears. "May everything be well for you, boy. Remember, share your pain and you'll feel a lot at ease." Ian reminded Tony before saying their goodbyes.

After packing up his stuffs and saying goodbye and thank you for the umpteenth time, Tony made his way towards his car before he was abruptly stopped by both Gibbs and McGee.

"Just where do you think you're going, Tony?" McGee asked him snatching the car keys from Tony's hand. Tony stared at him dumbfounded.

"I thought you guys wanted me back in DC?" Tony said trying to get the keys back from McGee.

"Do you really think we're gonna let you drive for two hours by yourself?" Gibbs questioned Tony and dragged him to his car. "You'll be riding with me. McGee's gonna drive your car back."

Tony was going to protest when he was met with a shut-up-and-listen-to-me glare from Gibbs and decided to just agree with the old man. He resigned and took his seat next to Gibbs.

"Be careful Boss. We don't want him throwing up all over the place."

"Ha ha. Not funny, Probie! Be careful with my precious baby!" Tony automatically fell into his routine of friendly banter with McGee. Gibbs just smiled at the exchanged and hopes that everything will stay the same.

* * *

It was halfway to DC when the pain suddenly erupted. Tony tried to hide the pain but knowing Gibbs, there's nothing can be hidden from the bossman. Gibbs glanced at Tony when he saw the younger agent pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You good?" he asked slowing down the car a little bit. Maybe it was his driving that's making Tony nauseous or sick.

Tony nodded slowly. "Yeah I'm good. Just a little pain in the head." He said resting his head on the headrest.

"Wanted to take your pain meds before it become worse?" Tony shook his head. Unfortunately it was a huge mistake in doing so as the pain was multiplying right after he shook his head. Gibbs flicked the indicator before stopping the car at the road side.

"Okay. Maybe I do need to take the pain meds." He whispered to Gibbs, the pain already making him sweat and breathing heavily. "In the bag at the back seat." He continued when Gibbs started to search for the meds.

Turning his body to the back, Gibbs grabbed Tony's bag before searching for the orange vial. He found the bottle, took out two tablets and handed them to Tony. Tony took the tablets with shaky hands and popped them in his mouth. He grasped the water bottle passed by Gibbs and washed the tablets down his system.

McGee knocked on Gibbs' window when the senior agent stopped abruptly by the road side. "What's wrong, Boss? Is Tony okay?" he asked anxiously when he saw the pain etched on Tony's face.

"Everything's peachy McWorry. Just the occasional headaches. Nothing to worry about." Tony told him while smiling with his eyes closed. He has no intention to worry his friends more than they already are.

"Just sleep, DiNozzo. I'll wake you up when we reach my place." Gibbs ordered him before telling McGee to continue the journey and head straight to his place. McGee concurred to Gibbs' command and resumed tailing Gibbs car from behind.

It was another 45 minutes before they reached Gibbs' house. Tony was sleeping soundly despite the crease on his face. It was probably the painkillers that knocked him out.

"DiNozzo. Hey, Tony… We're here already." He nudged Tony lightly waking him up from his slumber. Tony opened his eyes slowly careful not to startle his nerves that might aggravate his headache. He looked around to see that they've already arrived at Gibbs'. McGee was already standing next to the opened door to help him up.

"Think you can get up?" McGee asked him extending his arm to help support Tony.

"Yeah, I'm good." Tony told him as he stood slowly. He was thankful for McGee's support as he swayed slightly upon standing up.

"Yeah, you're good." McGee said sarcastically as he tightened his grasp on Tony's waist. He was having trouble trying to understand Tony's definition of 'good' or 'fine'. Apparently Tony tends to exaggerate when he's having a paper cut but considered himself 'fine' when he's having a terminal illness. Tony smiled slightly at McGee's comment. He can't seem to stop his bad habit of putting up a robust appearance even when he's feeling like shit.

Resting on the couch, he closed his eyes trying to stabilize his breathing. It seems that the long drive and the walk were too much for his body to handle at the moment. He opened his eyes slightly when he felt a glass on water on his hand handed by Gibbs.

"Drink up. Ducky's on his way."

"Thanks, Boss. But why would Ducky be on his way?" he asked sipping the water given by his boss. The soothing liquid felt like heaven to his throat.

"He called me to check up on you, dear Anthony." As if right on cue, Ducky showed up by the door answering Tony's question.

"Hey Duck. He's all yours." Gibbs gestured to Tony. Tony started to pull a face seeing Ducky with his medical bag.

"Hey Ducky. Nice to see you. But not the bag." He said looking distastefully at the bag. Ducky chuckled at Tony's remark.

"Always with the humor, my boy. It's good to see you too, Anthony." He hugged Tony briefly before looking at the pale face that used to be filled with sparks and mischiefs.

"Don't be fooled by the looks, Ducky. I'm not that sick, yet." He smiled faintly upon seeing the look Ducky gave him.

"Well, let me be the judge of that. Come here; let me check up on you." Ducky started to listen to Tony's breathing with his stethoscope. Everything seems fine except for the slightly heavy breathing probably from the exhaustion. He then put the cuffed on Tony's hand, checking for both his blood pressure and pulse.

"Everything looks pretty normal at the moment apart from the slightly elevated blood pressure and pulse. Possibly due to the fatigue from travelling far." Ducky told the three of them as Gibbs and McGee were standing at the back observing everything.

"Told you, I'm feeling good, Duckman." Tony smiled after he heard Ducky's words.

"I'm going to give you some vitamins and supplements to enhance your immune system to make sure that you're not vulnerable to any infections that can deteriorate your condition." Said Ducky while writing the names of the vitamins and supplements.

Tony just nodded obediently. There's no point for him to disagree as Gibbs will definitely ensure that he will follow every single instruction from Ducky. Ducky handed the script to McGee and asked him to fill the prescription at the pharmacy. Gibbs then spread the blanket on Tony's lap while Ducky adjusted the pillow on his head. _Yup, he's definitely making the right decision coming back to DC. _


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

He woke up to the smell of pancakes lingering in the air. Looking up at the clock on the night stand, it was already seven in the morning. Tony vaguely remembered Gibbs waking him up last night and assisting him to the guest room. He got up from the bed and head to the toilet to freshen up. Looking at the mirror he doesn't look as worse as he did a couple of days ago. It turns out that Beth and Ian were hundred percent correct. Sharing the pain with his little family does make it seemed lighter.

Finding his duffel bag at the end of the bed, he picked out a button down shirt and a pair of jeans and put them on. He made his way down right after ensuring that he looks presentable enough to be facing his boss.

"About time you come down here, DiNozzo." Gibbs put the plate with pancakes at the counter and motioned Tony to sit there. He then took a sit in front of Tony with a plate of his own.

"Hey, Boss. Gotta take extra effort to make myself presentable now." he told Gibbs and picked up the fork jabbing at the pancakes. Truth is, he was hungry. But his appetite just can't seem to agree with him. As tempting as the pancake looked, he only managed to munch half of it down.

"Not hungry?" Gibbs asked him when he stopped eating and started playing with the foods instead. Tony shook his head.

"Not really. Still adapting to this mess up system in my body." Gibbs just nodded quietly. He knew Tony was still adjusting to the fact that he's not as healthy as before.

"Think you're up to face Abby?" _Oh shit! How could I forget about Abby?_ Tony thought to himself, half his blood already draining from his face.

"Um… On the scale of Nice Abby to Killing Abby, how Abby is she?" Tony's question was met by a slight chuckle from Gibbs.

"Let's say it's between Concern Abby and How-Could-You-Leave-Us Abby." Okay that wasn't so bad. Tony could deal with that level of Abby. He okayed Gibbs and in half an hour they're both on their way heading to the Navy Yard.

* * *

The ding of the elevator indicates the arrival of the long awaited figure. Abby was already jumping up and down waiting excitedly for her Tony. Gibbs had texted her earlier telling that he's sending Tony down to the lab so Abby could take a good look at him.

Upon seeing Tony entering the door, she was already running towards him and ready to crush him in her hug. Realizing that Abby is going to give him her infamous Abby-hug, Tony braced himself for the grip he's about to feel.

"Tony! Oh my god! I miss you so much! Please don't ever do that ever again! Don't you dare disappear from us, mister!" her words were muffled as she buried her face in Tony's chest and started to sob silently. She hated to admit the fact that she's not gonna have much longer with Tony.

"Hey Abs. I'm sorry, okay. I was stupid for pulling that stunt. Please don't cry. I promise I won't go MIA again." Tony hugged Abby tighter and kissed the top of her head while uttering those words to her. He felt guilty for making Abby cried but at the same time, instead of feeling smothered, he was finding comfort in the hugs she gave him.

"Starting from now on, I'm going to take care of you. I'm going to make sure that you have your pills on time and that you're eating healthy meals. No more junk foods for you, Anthony DiNozzo Jr.!" Tony gasped exaggeratedly at Abby's statements. The joker in him still wanted to humor Abby and pretended to be upset that he won't be eating his kind of 'meal' anymore.

"But I love those junk stuffs…" he said with a hurt voice trying to act dejected. His wounded look turned into a small grin and later into a burst of laughter upon seeing the look on Abby's face trying to cheer him up.

"Tony…!" She shrieked before hitting Tony's arm for pulling her leg. They ended up laughing together sitting on the floor of the lab. He closed his eyes and smiled as he pulled Abby into his arm and rested his head on hers. _I can totally die in peace now…_

* * *

"Hey Duck. You wanted to see me?" Tony said upon entering the morgue. He fell asleep at Abby's lab for an hour and saw Ducky's message on his cell when he woke up.

"Oh yes I do, my boy. Come here and have a seat so we can talk properly." Ducky gestured him to seat on the couch in his small office before heading to the small pantry to pour a cup of tea. "Earl Grey or Green Tea?"

"I'll have Earl Grey please." Tony took the cup from Ducky's hand and placed it on the coffee table. "So what is it, Ducky? Is everything alright?" Tony asked curiously. He knew there's something important that Ducky wanted to discuss with him and somehow he had this feeling in his gut that that something is about his health.

"Truth is dear boy; it has something to do with your illness. Right after we found out about the cancer, I did some research while Jethro and Timothy went looking for you. I later found out about this clinical trial that shows promising results in Milford, Massachusetts. There's this guy diagnosed with stage four gliobastoma and was given less than a year to live. Apparently, he found this clinical trial and was living years longer than what the doctor estimated." Ducky was full with enthusiasm telling the story of the clinical trial to Tony. He was having so much hope after reading about the research.

"But why wouldn't my doctor say anything about it?" Tony wondered and started to consider about the trials.

"It appears that because you refused any treatment especially the chemotherapy, it eliminates the possibility of the trials. But Tony, this could be one. I've already made contact with the person in charge and right now I'm just waiting for you to decide whether you wanted to give it a shot or not."

"Will it work, Ducky? Will it prolong my possibility?" Ducky shifted in his seat and took a deep breath before answering.

"If nothing goes wrong, it will definitely help stabilize the tumor and delay it from progressing further."

"Can I think about it first and let you know later?" said Tony as he ponders about the options of the clinical trials.

"It won't be a problem, my dear boy. Let me know once you've made up your mind." Ducky told him as he patted Tony on the back. Tony made his way to his desk and started doing the research about the clinical trial on his own. He massaged his head lightly and buried his face in his elbow. What should I do?

* * *

Ducky was startled by the ringing of his phone indicating that he received a text message. He opened up the message and smiled to himself.

_'__Hey Duckman. I still haven't finish learning from Gibbs, still haven't listen to all of your tales, still haven't teach McGee enough, still haven't receive enough Abby-hug and still haven't see Palmer's baby growing up. I've made up my mind to do the trials. Please help arrange everything for me._

_Tony. D.'_

With that, Ducky quickly dialed the number he wrote a few days earlier.

**A/N: Sorry if there's any mistake in the medical terms. I tried my best to do some research on Google when I wrote that part. **


	13. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

"Hey Gibbs. Can we watch his favorite movie, please?" Abby told Gibbs as she took his seat in between Gibbs and McGee. Ducky was sitting in the arm chair next to Gibbs.

Gibbs kissed the top of Abby's head and looked up at the television screen. It's been a rough few months for all of them. It was Halloween night and they decided that they need this time to get together and spend the night with their little family. "Yes, of course we can, Abs. It's Halloween and movie night." He then gestured McGee to put the DVD inside the player.

"Nightmare on Elm Street, Boss?" McGee's question was met with an affirmative nod from Gibbs. He still remembers Tony once mention the movie when he quoted it for some case years ago. McGee put the DVD in the player before taking his seat back next to Abby.

"He definitely would be playing narrator if he's here right now." Abby laughed lightly her head still resting on Gibbs shoulder.

"Yeah. He definitely would." Gibbs whispered.

* * *

_"__Hey, Boss. If I didn't make it, please tell them how much I love them as my family. Probably more than my own family." Tony said to Gibbs when he was on the way to the operation theater. He was taking the risk of the operation right after a few session of the clinical trial was showing a positive progress. _

_"__Don't you ever have that negative thoughts. Remember you beat the fifteen percent odds. And you will definitely kick this one in the ass too." Gibbs gripped Tony's hand tightly. His younger agent was losing some weights after the few sessions of chemo and trials but his will is as strong as it will ever be._

_"__Sometimes, I wonder when my luck will finally run out, Boss." His hand was playing around with the IV line. _

_"__The answer is NEVER, Tony. Now stop with all the negativity and just focus on getting better." As usual Tony nodded at Gibbs command and tried his best to follow his boss' order. He just wasn't sure if he can obey his boss this time._

* * *

Gibbs can still remember clearly the feel of Tony's hand in his hand. The look on Tony's face before he disappeared behind the operation theater doors. The long hours of them waiting in the waiting room. He can't erased the memories of one of the doctor walking out of the OT telling them that something went wrong with the operation and that they're trying their very best. The sound of Abby's crying still haunts him every other night.

He was yanked out of his thoughts when he felt Abby shifted in the seat and closed her eyes at the scary scene showing on the screen. The sound of the front door opening made all of them turned their heads.

"Have I told you guys how much I hated Halloween?! The roads are filled with zombies, vampires and creepy creatures roaming around and making my drive dreadful. Urghhhh." Putting the boxes of Chinese on the table, Tony got out of his jacket and squeezed himself in between Abby and McGee.

"And you guys started the movie without me. Great!" he complained when he noticed the Nightmare on Elm Street was already playing for twenty minutes.

"Oh well. You draw the short straw; you gotta pick up the foods." McGee said distributing the foods among them. Ducky, Gibbs and Abby laughed at the usual banter between the two friends. Just like always.

"Oh whatever. I'm just glad we're spending the night here instead of god knows where solving some creepy god knows what murder case." Tony said smiling as he took the first bite of the food. _And I'm glad I'm spending it with you guys instead of rotting alone in the grave…_

**The End**

**A/N : Finally, it comes to an end. Thank you for those who read, reviewed, followed and faved this story. It's been a wonderful journey. What started as a simple idea in my head came out as a 10k+ words multichapter story! I'm sorry if I offended anyone with this sensitive issue of cancer. I'm just trying to deliver the message of positivity to those who are dealing with this issue directly or indirectly. Again, I love each and every one of you readers! **


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